


Mending Hearts and Breaking Barriers

by SunnyBot



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abused Frisk (Undertale), Aged-Up Frisk (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apologies, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Roller Coaster, Evil W. D. Gaster, F/M, Flowey (Undertale) Redemption, Frisk (Undertale) Is a Sweetheart, M/M, Manipulation, Mental Breakdown, Misunderstandings, Past Abuse, Royal Guard Papyrus (Undertale), Scientist W. D. Gaster, Secrets, Self-Hatred, Underfell Asgore Dreemurr, Underfell Mettaton (Undertale), Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Underfell W. D. Gaster, Undertale Pacifist Route, W. D. Gaster Being An Asshole, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-09-28 10:51:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17181563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyBot/pseuds/SunnyBot
Summary: After growing too close to the one person in the underground Asgore wants him to kill, Sans attempts to distance himself from Frisk by giving her every reason to hate him. His plan backfires however, when he finds his own heart broken as well. Now, Sans must face the sins crawling on his back, but how can he help someone he has to kill?





	1. How to Be a Heart Breaker

**Author's Note:**

> 1) Frisk is in the 19-22 age range in this story.  
> 2) Sans is only a couple years older than Frisk  
> 3) This is a version of Underfell in which various monsters are against the "Kill or be Killed" rule.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rule #2: Don't get attached to somebody you could loose.

Sans had gotten too attached to the human. He tried not to. He desperately tried not to. But he was just to weak, and he hated himself for that. Sans knew for a fact that if he had the strength to break the old lady's promise or hell, straight up refuse to promise completely, he would have torn Frisk to bite-size pieces the moment she stepped out of the ruins. But of course if he did, the old lady would have never spoken to him again, and the thought of that was something Sans just couldn't stand.

You see, the Underground wasn't a very... friendly place to live in. Ever since Asgore's little brats got murdered on the surface, the entire place had become a hellhole. A hellhole that was the only home he had ever known, but a hellhole nonetheless. Thanks to King Fluffybuns' stupid "Kill or be Killed" rule, everyone was constantly at each other's throats trying to prove who was the strongest by way of raising their LV. It was a world where there were very few you could trust. True friendships tend to be rare when most "friends" like stab each other in the back to gain EXP. Hell, there were even some families who had turned on each other, not to mention all the orphans that resulted from such feuds. It was chaos, complete and utter chaos, and Sans hated it.

He hated how hopeless his world seemed, he hated having to kill for the right to live, but most of all, he hated having almost no one to trust. Maybe that was why he kept that old lady's promise. Maybe it was why he had grown so fond of the human.

The Human- Frisk was... not much like anyone he had met before. She was caring, kind and extremely helpful. A real "Sweetheart" as Sans like to call her. She was also somewhat adventurous and flirty, and most definitely more determined than anything. She was really fun to hang around, and was one of the few people who appreciated his oftentimes dark or dirty sense of humor. Everything about her just made him feel safe and cozy when she was around. Frisk was one of the few people he could trust, and that made what he eventually had to do so much harder. To most, Sans was a lazy sentry, but to the King, Sans was the Royal Judge. As the Royal Judge, it was Sans' duty to "eliminate" any and all humans before they got to Asgore. And unfortunately for Sans, that meant he had to kill his Sweetheart, Frisk.

Sans needed to end this thing he had with the human. He needed to break her heart, to make her hate him. Maybe then it would be easier to... No- it was _always_ easier to kill someone when they hated you. This was no exception.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

His plan was simple: take the girl on a date, say some nasty shit, and - ** _BAM_** , instant heartbreak. He managed to catch her at MTT Resort on her way to the core. It wasn't that hard to convince her to grab a bite with him, and considering the state she was in, she looked like she needed it.

Frisk had gotten a bit roughed up since the last time Sans saw her. Her dark brown hair was messy and tied back with a bloodied old bow, and she had a gash on her arm. The black and burgundy striped hooded jacket she always wore was wrapped around her waist, revealing a faded ash-grey t-shirt underneath. Her jean shorts were a bit ripped up and her navy blue leggings had a few holes in them. She looked kind of tired, like there was something on her mind that was eating at her. Not to mention the dimness to her usually neutral expression. It didn't help the situation much, so he decided to go nice and slow. Ease into it a bit.

Sans started off with how he met the lady behind the door. Frisk listened intently as he described in great detail how a place to practice knock-knock jokes became a place to pal around and trade jokes. It was nice watching her dim expression brighten up as he shared his jokes experiences with her. Oh, stars, he wished he could go on forever! Sans would have loved to have been what saved her day instead of ruining it but, he had to cut to the chase eventually.

"...So, one day I notice she ain't laughin' as much as she usually does, so I ask her what's the matter and she says somethin' strange.", he began as he stared down at his plate, trying to limit eye contact as much as possible.

" ' _If a human ever comes through this door... could you please, please promise me something? Watch over them, and protect them will you not? '_ Now, I hate makin' promises, and this woman... I don't even know her name. But someone who sincerely like bad jokes has an integrity you can't say 'no' to.", Sans continued before he starred back at the girl in front of him and grabbed her by the scruff, pulling her up and across the table as he stood up.

"... Do you get what I'm sayin', Sweetheart? That promise I made to 'er. Do you know what would have happened if she never said anything?", he said as she was squirming in his grasp, grey eyes filled with fear and tears streaming down her face.

"...Sweetheart ... **YOU'D BE DEAD WHERE YOU STAND**.", he finished before he dropped her and watched as she scrambled to feet. He starred her down for what seemed to be an eternity before she punched him. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

"You **ASSHOLE**!!!, Frisk screamed as Sans fell onto an empty table behind him, " I thought you were different! I thought you cared! I thought... I thought...", Sans watched in horror as she crumbled down to the floor and started sobbing uncontrollably. Every part of him was screaming for him to comfort her, to apologize, but he didn't. He just sat there frozen and watched as she cried her eyes out. And through her heavy sobs, he could hear her berating herself, muttering something about "fake friends back on the surface".  Eventually, he found himself inching towards her, reaching for her before she smacked his hand away and screamed,

"Don't touch me! Don't you _dare_ touch me!"

"Frisk, I-"

"No! You don't get to apologize. I thought we were friends, that we had something special, but no- It was fake. It was _all_ fake. You never cared about me. You wanted me dead the whole time! You're worse than Asgore and Alphys and all the rest who wanted me dead! At least none of them _lied_ about what they wanted from me!"

"But.. I-"

"Don't give me that bullshit, Sans! You're _fake_.", she said as she stormed out of the resort. "... just like everyone on the surface." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow Sans, I have a feeling that this situation WAS an exception!


	2. Deja Vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bring on the chill rain, and we'll go back in time...

Many believed Frisk had ended up in the underground By mistake. That she was looking for adventure when she fell in. It made sense, especially considering her adventurous nature. But there was one flaw to that story that made everything fall apart.

Frisk never fell. 

She jumped.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Growing up wasn't easy for Frisk. She had lived in a small, gossipy town with her mother and her older brother (technically her half-brother), Justice, Despite the fact that Frisk and her brother were well behaved, and her mother was at least decent in public, the townsfolk weren't exactly _fond_ of her family.

The residents of the town weren't exactly the most open minded of people. They had these rather traditional views on what an "acceptable family" was, and Frisk's family was... not one that met the criteria for " _acceptable_ " in those parts. Her mother was divorced, and worked in a rather _exotic_ entertainment industry. Her mother's husband had left the family soon after Frisk was born, when it turned out that only _one_ of his wife's children were his own. Frisk herself looked almost nothing like her older brother. He was fair-skinned with dirty blonde hair and a lean build, while she had an olive skin tone with dark brown hair and a petite figure. The only aspects of their appearance they had in common were their cool grey eyes and the waviness of their hair. All the other families in their town were comprised of happily married stay at home moms with blissful working fathers and joyful children who looked alike. Everything her family wasn't.

Frisk didn't really have many friends growing up. She lost count of all the times she tried to play with kids in the park or around the neighborhood, only for their mothers to pull them away and chastise them for "playing with a bastard". The Isolation only got worse when she began attending school. By that time, most kids had already picked up their parents' behaviors, or more accurately, their _prejudices_. It was hard trying to fit in when the only way to be " _normal_ " was if the people who conceived you were married. She'd constantly get pushed around and insulted by her peers, some of them even ganging up on her to leave some nasty marks from time to time. Frisk would often come home on Friday with a at least three bruises, and that was on a _lucky_   week. And of course those assholes almost never got caught. When the teacher had their eyes on them, they'd be hard-working, obedient angels. But the second the teacher took their eyes of them, Frisk would often find another menacing figure ready to tear her to shreds. Oh, but that wasn't even the beginning of how fake almost everyone in that god forsaken town was!

 The adults were always talking behind one another's backs, spreading rumors and falsehoods like it was gospel. But that was nothing compared to how toxic all the kids were once they got into their teen years.

It was astounding how much everyone hated each other in their adolescence. So many people competing for the dumbass titles of "smartest", "strongest", and "most popular". So may people manipulating their peers for social gain, so many people built up by false promise, and far too many times she and several others were left broken in the dust. It was chaotic. True friendships tend to be rare when everyone's always stabbing each other  in the back.

There was really only one person she had ever been friends with in that hellhole. And that was her Brother, Justice.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Justice had sort of raised Frisk in a way. Ever since she could remember, their mother was almost never home. She was always off doing her "entertainment" to pay the bills, leaving Frisk and her brother to fend for themselves most days. He was five years her senior, but it might as well have been twice that difference, considering how mature he was for his age. He was an amazing judge of character, and extremely open-minded compared to the rest of the town.  Justice had always cared for her and protected her, even offering her a shoulder to cry on when she desperately needed it. He really loved hanging out in the forest around the edge of town with her, even teaching her to shoot on occasion. They were like two peas in a pod, closer than the grass was to the dirt.

But then there was the accident at Mt. Ebbot. She never saw him again

Her mother didn't react very well to her brother's death. 

Frisk's mother had quit her job entirely and had begun drinking away what little money they had. At first, she had tried her best to get her mother to stop, but every time she tried her mother would spout off in an unbridled rage, yelling and screaming about how Frisk was "an ungrateful brat had ruined her life". Things got so bad, Frisk had to drop out of school and work just to get food on the table. She had to hide her paychecks from her mother, so the money didn't get blown off on drugs an alcohol. 

Frisk tried to pull through. She was tired of being pushed around, tired of being unwanted, and tired of being abused. She needed an escape.

So she jumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I headcannon Frisk's mom (or dad) likes giving things more "exotic" names, hence Frisk's name  
> -I tried looking up names that meant "judge or justice" and apparently the word "justice" is already a name, so I went for it! (Kinda lazy, I know, but I'll try harder if I get to the other fallen childrens' names)  
> -Look up the titles of the chapters, they're actually songs!


	3. Crybaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've seemed to relace your brain with your heart, you take things so hard and then you fall apart.
> 
> You try to explain, but before you can start, those crybaby tears come out of the dark.

After what seemed to be an eternity of sitting around and gazing off to the distance, Sans finally picked himself back up. It was horrible. He thought he was doing himself a favor, he thought that he would feel better after this stupid date... But he didn't. Sans stood there with a blank expression on his face for a good five minutes before he paid for the food and left for Snowdin. Papyrus was already home when he got there, awaiting a "special episode" of Mettaton's god-awful show.

 

"SANS, SIT DOWN THIS INSTANT!!! WE ARE GOING TO SPEND "QUALITY TIME" TOGETHER AS THE HUMAN SUGGESTED!!! AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS THAN- th-than..."

 

Papyrus immediately stopped himself mid-speech, his face quickly morphing from blissful pride to horrified concern. A chill went down Sans's spine as he instinctively spun around, fully expecting to see the twisted and furious face of the insane scientist that had towered over him years ago. He felt a sudden rush of relief once he realized where he was.

**_Oh, fuck! I almost forgot that old bastard died years ago-_ **

 

"Brother, are you alright?"

 

It had been years since he made that face. It was even longer since he heard that question. Sure, Papyrus cared about his older brother, and yes, they trusted each other with their lives, but they never _asked_ each other if they were okay. Papyrus usually had a hard time noticing with his job and reputation, and Sans always just knew. To be asked such a question out of the blue- _especially by Papyrus_ , was unnerving.

 

"W-wha'dya say Boss?"

"Sans, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah bro, I'm fine-"

 

Sans nearly jumped back in surprise when his younger brother slammed his fists on the coffee table so hard it broke in half. He froze as Papyrus got up and yanked him into the air by his dog collar. The taller skeleton's expression had gone from a deep concern to a pure, unbridled rage.

 

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT _BULLSHIT_ , SANS!!! I MAY BE TOTAL _SHIT_ AT READING EXPRESSIONS COMPARED YOU, BUT I KNOW THAT LOOK. STOP LYING TO ME AND TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED-"

"✋︎ ♐︎◆︎♍︎🙵♏︎♎︎ ◆︎◻︎📬︎"

 

Sans's expression twisted into something agonized and empty. His now crooked permanent smile sent a deep chill through Papyrus's soul.

 

"Sans, what did you-"

"✋︎ ♐︎◆︎♍︎🙵♏︎♎︎ ◆︎◻︎✏︎✏︎✏︎"

 

 The sudden response had left Papyrus so rattled he dropped his brother. He watched in horror as Sans continued screaming in that damned cypher, eyes blank, vision blurred and bright tears burning down his cheeks.

 

"✋︎ ⧫︎♒︎□︎◆︎♑︎♒︎⧫︎ ♓︎ ⬥︎♋︎⬧︎ ♎︎□︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ❍︎⍓︎⬧︎♏︎●︎♐︎ ♋︎ ♐︎♋︎❖︎□︎❒︎📪︎ ♌︎◆︎⧫︎ ♓︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎♋︎♎︎ ♓︎ ❍︎♋︎♎︎♏︎ ♏︎❖︎♏︎❒︎⍓︎⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⬥︎□︎❒︎⬧︎♏︎✏︎ ♓︎ ♎︎□︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ 🙵■︎□︎⬥︎ ⬥︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ⧫︎□︎ ♎︎□︎✏︎ □︎♒︎ ⬧︎⧫︎♋︎❒︎⬧︎ ◻︎♋︎◻︎📪︎ ◻︎●︎♏︎♋︎⬧︎♏︎ ♒︎♏︎●︎◻︎ ❍︎♏︎✏︎ ♓︎ ♎︎□︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ 🙵■︎□︎⬥︎ ⬥︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ⧫︎□︎ ♎︎□︎✏︎"

"Sans, please stop... You're scaring me."

 

The screaming ceased. Sans looked up and realized that Papyrus was holding onto him tightly, cradling him as he was was brought back to reality. Papyrus's looked like he was on the verge of tears. He had almost never been on the verge of tears. The only times Papyrus had cried were before... the _accident_ at the core. How far gone had Sans been to upset him so badly?

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sans buried his face into his brother's armor, trying his best not to cry again. He didn't want to see his brother like this. He didn't want to be reminded of that crazy old bastard. He didn't want -

 

"Sans... did something happen with the human?"

_**How  the hell did  he know?** _

"I'm just asking because... well, you _did_ say you were going to take her on a date and..."

"There was somethin' I had to do. I thought I did the right thing but-"

"But you messed up and made everything worse."

 

Sans paused as he registered what his brother said. How did he know? Since when was Papyrus this perceptive?

 

"I know what you're thinking, Sans. To answer your internal question, I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS... have also been having romantic troubles.", Papyrus said as he carried Sans over to the couch and put him down.

"Now, I am no dating expert, but I do know for a fact that the best thing you can do is give her some space! And when she's in a time of need, you help her, apologize, and show her you still care! That's an order!"

"Paps, it ain't as simple as that. I-"

"Not another word Sans! Now stay here and rest while I go get you some nice cream! I should be back before the show starts, but you won't have to worry if I miss any of it! Knowing how lazy you are, I'm putting the show to record, so we can re-watch it any time!"

"Thanks Boss, you're the coolest"

"NYEHHEHEH! OF COURSE I AM! I AM THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS! CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, AND FORMER APRENTICE OF UNDYNE THE UNDYING!!!", Papyrus declared as he went for the door.

"Oh, and Sans!", he continued he left, "Take care of yourself, because I really care about you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! If you like my work, check me out on my tumblr here: https://sunnythebot.tumblr.com/
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of interruptions while working on it, so I'm glad I could get it finished! School's starting back up tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to post as often, so sorry about any hiatuses in the future!
> 
> Can you all guess who Papyrus is having "Romantic troubles" with? Look out for some hints in the future!


	4. Pompeii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the walls kept tumblin' down in the city that we love,  
> Grey clouds roll over the hills bringing darkness from above,
> 
> But if you close your eyes,  
> Does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all?  
> And if you close your eyes,  
> Does it almost feel like you've been here before?

It had been years since Papyrus had taken this path through Waterfall. Sure, he had gone to Waterfall plenty of times before, but this path in particular, it was special.

He listened as the echo flowers rang about with distant voices of the past. The echo flowers were one of the few things in the underground that had been left unscathed by King Asgore's "Kill or be Killed" rule. Hell, people rarely went through them anymore. There were words, voices, hell even _full on conversations_ from long ago still ringing within those beautiful flowers. It was a comfort,hearing those long gone words once more. It brought Papyrus back to a time when he and his brother were being chased by the royal guard instead of working for it. A time in which the best days were one where they found something cool to use in the trash, or when they had pick-pocketed just enough money to buy a proper meal, back when many monsters weren't as bloodthirsty, and the underground was more... _densely populated_   than it was now. Sure, it was still rough, but it was nice to be able to _spare_ people more often.

Papyrus was lost in thought, trudging through the darkness and whirl of disembodied voices when he heard the song of a familiar voice in the distance. It was a gorgeous tenor, his voice silky and calming. He found himself looking back to a the day in which he had stumbled upon his love, a young, shy monster who had been gifted with musical and theatrical talent, singing to himself in the empty field of echo flowers. The poor little guy had looked so lonely all by himself...

 

_**" WOWIE!!! YOU SOUND AMAZING!"** _

_**" AAAAAHHH!!! D-don't-don't- DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT ME! PLEASE, JUST GO AWAY!!!"** _

_**" ...Why should I go away?"** _

 

Papyrus immediately shook off the memory. He didn't have time to reminisce, he just needed to get the nice-cream and be done with it. 

**_Now where is that Nice Cream Guy?_ **

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

"Hey, Bone-head! **THINK FAST**!!!"

Papyrus barely had any time to dodge before a glowing blue spear came flying at him. He tumbled to the ground as the spear had missed him by about half an inch. He watched as a blue-scaled, muscular figure came into view. She gave  him a wide, sharp-toothed grin as she helped him get back on his feet. She seemed a lot happier since the last time he saw her.

 

"You've gotten slow on those dodges, Papyrus! Better catch up, or you'll be a fugitive, like me!"

"Undyne,", Papyrus began as he dusted himself off," I was merely distracted. And besides, you and I both know the reason why you got on Asgore's hit list had nothing to do with your skill."

The fish monster crossed her arms and smirked as she replied,

"So, what? I was just standing up for my Bestie!"

"You attacked the king and told him to 'go fuck himself', because you and the human are 'Besties' now!"

"And it was so worth it too! I'd been waitn' to tell him that for years!"

 

Papyrus sighed, slightly disappointed by his mentor's apathy towards the gravity of her actions. After being defeated and befriended by the human, Undyne decided that it would be a wonderful idea to march over to Asgore himself and give up her job, her home, her rights, and her reputation, all to insult him and declare her loyalty to Frisk. Of course, she managed to escape before she got dusted, but now she was a fugitive, a traitor to all monsters, and she had no where to go. The human, bless her soul, had managed to convince Toriel to take her in until there was another place available for her.

 

"Say, Undyne." Papyrus asked, "Why aren't you in the ruins with the quee- um, I mean the _former_ -queen?"

"Tori wanted me to check up on Frisk, see how she was doin'."

 

Papyrus perked up, completely forgetting why Sans had been so upset as he asked,

 

"Oh, did you see her? How is she?"

 

Undyne sighed and shook her head.

 

"Punk's had a real rough day. She was crying with that dumb plant of hers. She wouldn't give me all the details, but from what I could gather, _Sans_ has something to do with it."

"He... does?"

"Yep. Apparently he threatened her or somethin'."

 

Papyrus felt his soul sink  as he registered what she had said.

**_Sans? Threaten Frisk? ! No, he wouldn't..._  **

 

"But Sans trusts her, he wouldn't- he'd never-"

 

Undyne went silent as her expression grew somber. Papyrus didn't understand.

**_Why would Sans do that? What would he possibly have to gain from betraying someone he cares about?_ **

 

"Asgore hasn't told you yet, has he?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think Papyrus is gonna like what he's about to hear, and it might not be for the reason you'd assume.


	5. Escapism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess I'll have to face that in this awful place, I shouldn't show a trace of doubt...  
> But pulled against the grain, I feel a little pain, that I would rather do without...

It had been a long, hard day for Frisk. So many monsters she had to fight, so many traps she had to avoid, so much pain she had to carry on her shoulders. She had decided to rent a room at the resort after meeting up with Undyne so she could clear her head in a quiet space. But instead of calming down, all she could do was let her mind wander.

**_Why had Sans done that? Why would he string me along like that if I meant nothing to him? Why-_ **

"It was pretty nice of Undyne to come over and check up on you!" The sound of Flowey's voice almost made her jump. She had been so lost in thought she wasn't expecting him to say anything. Hell, she almost completely forgot he was there at all. Frisk sighed before replying,

"Yeah, it's nice to know she and mom still care about me. After what happened, I kinda needed that.". She closed her eyes and leaned back on the bed, allowing her mind to wander once more.

 

**_Okay, use your head Frisky. When someone is using you, there's always signs. There's gotta be something he did!_ **

 

"Hey, Flowey did you ever notice anything... off about Sans's behavior?", she asked as she was trying to recall any signs of toxicity or betrayal in the skeleton's previous behavior.

"You mean, other than the fact that he was actin' all softy with you? Ha, nope! In fact, I'm surprised he didn't try to kill you back there!"

Frisk stiffened, trying her best not to panic. 

 

"...What do you mean?"

"Well, he did cause me a fair amount of resets... I assumed he learned from them and was waiting to-"

Frisk bolted up, frantic as she asked," Wait- Sans remembers the resets?!"

"Yep. I don't know why. I assumed he was trying to see if he could catch you off guard  or something."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

 

Flowey paused as he arched over in his pot, almost as if he had wilted.

 

"I- I thought It'd be a fight or somethin'. I didn't expect him to... do _that_. And besides, I was- busy so I didn't have enough time to-"

"Busy with what?.", Frisk asked before he could finish. There was no response. She asked him again. 

"Busy with what?". Still not answering. 

"Busy with-"

" **That's none of your business.** "

 

Frisk jumped back in shock, nearly falling over in response to her companion's sudden rage. Flowey immediately coiled back, waving his vines in the air as he tried to apologize.

 

"Uh-sorry, I just-"

"No! It's fine! I'm just still a little shaken by what happened earlier, that's all."

"It's okay Frisk, It's not your fault! I should have warned you sooner. He had me fooled too! I thought he had actually changed or something.", Flowey began as he regained his composure, "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised he hasn't changed, especially considering what his _real_   job is."

 

Frisk tilted her head in confusion as she asked, "W-what- what do you mean his _real_ job?"

Flowey smirked as he turned away towards the clock. He faked a gasp as he said, "Oh, golly! Look at the time, Frisk! Mettaton's  Probably waiting for you. Didn't he say he was planning a "Special Show" for you? Get going. We can talk later."

"But, I-"

"Get. Going. We can talk later, alright Frisky~?"

"W-well, okay."

 

Frisk dragged herself off the bed and packed up her inventory before making her way to the door. 

 

"Oh, wait! Frisk, there's one more thing I need to tell you!", Flowey said right before she opened the door. "Next time you see that smiley trash bag, ask him about what happened to that dear, sweet brother of yours! I'm **po** **sitive** he might know a thing or two about what happened to him!"

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Papyrus was pissed. No, not pissed. "Pissed" was not a good enough word for the Great and Terrible Papyrus at this moment. He was _fucking enraged._ Yeah, enraged. That was more like it.

In all these years, of all the monsters in the vast underground Asgore could have picked as the Royal Judge, he picked Sans. He just _had_ to pick Sans didn't he?! The one monster in the entire underground who could _die_ in less hits than most monsters _half_ his age, being forced to take down the most, violent, LV-laden criminals the underground had to offer.

 

_**Stars! Asgore Truly HAS lost his mind, hasn't he?! Damnit, how many times had that bastard almost gotten my brother killed!?  If I ever get my hands on him, I'll... I'll...!** _

 

Papyrus angrily marched all the way back to Snowdin, plotting all sorts of ways he could get back at his Bastard of a King. He wasn't actually sure what he'd do to Asgore if he ever got the chance, but Papyrus promised himself that he'd make it a rather satisfactory payback. 

He made his way through the thick snow and the  ~~pleasant~~ _annoying_ sound of children's laughter, and found himself at the front door of Grilby's, Sans's favorite pub. Unfortunately, due to Undyne's... _unexpected_ visit, Papyrus didn't get the chance to buy some nice cream, but he did promise to get _something_   for Sans, and he refused to return home empty handed. He probably wasn't welcome in Grilby's anyway, especially after the _incident_ a couple years back, but the Great and Terrible Papyrus wasn't going to let that stop him now, was he?

Papyrus slowly walked in, trying his best look intimidating, while also not drawing too much attention to himself. He did get some odd glares, and he could have sworn he heard some rude muttering, but he brushed it off anyway. Papyrus had a reputation to uphold! There was no way in a million years he's start a brawl over some nasty comments!

He made his way over to bar, and cautiously sat down, eyeing purple fire monster who was preparing some drinks for a group of drunken sentries nearby. 

 

"Oh, hey Sans, I haven't seen you in a while. How've you- _HOLY SHIT_!!!"

 

 Grilby nearly jumped back as he realized which skeleton he was talking to, almost dropping the cocktail he had in his hands.

 

"Papyrus! What are you doing here? Oh, goddamnit, did another one of my patrons-"

"Calm down Grilby. I'm not her to arrest any more of your customers. I'm just here to pick up some food for Sans."

 

Grilby stood there in disbelief, as if someone had just strait-faced told him that the barrier was broken.

 

"Huh. And here I thought you hated it when Sans came here to eat."

"Oh please.", Papyrus scoffed in annoyance, "I don't hate the fact he like coming here, I just hate the fact that he skips his shifts to come here!"

"Well... okay then. What do want to get him, then?"

"Whatever the hell he usually gets is fine."

"A burger, some fries and a bottle of mustard coming right up then!", Grilby replied cautiously as he made his way over to the kitchen. 

"Oh, and Papyrus!,", the fire monster said before he shut the door behind him, "Try not to dust any more of my patrons, alright?"

"My apologies, Grilby. I-"

"I know you didn't have much of a choice, considering those two were resisting arrest and all. But next time there's a child killer in my establishment, let me handle them, alright?"

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**_Damn, this show's takin' a long ass time to start!_ **

 

It had been almost an hour since Papyrus had left, an Mettaton's awful show _still_ hadn't started yet. What was the deal with all this hype around this show in particular anyway? It wasn't like it was gonna change the fate of the pathetic robot's career or some shit like that. Or maybe it was, but Sans didn't really care either way. God, he had always hated that show! The props were horrible, the sets were appalling, and the quiz show especially was too boring to watch. The only redeemable thing about that show was Mettaton himself, who actually had some good talent in him. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to make the show decent enough for the public anyway.

Despite the fact that Mettaton's show was technically very popular, it... wasn't for a _very good_ reason. 

As culture in the underground had grown rather violent, so had it's tastes in entertainment, and Mettaton's show was... not the kind of entertainment the underground was looking for. Mettaton had wanted his show to be "an inspiration to monsters to keep on hoping, and stay determined", which would have been a great idea, had fate given him the right audience. Instead, his show was nothing more than a pathetic robot trying his best to brush off all the verbal abuse and harassment his " _fans_ " gave him, while simultaneously performing his own original shit. There were several occasion where the in-theater audience would climb up on stage and attack him, tearing him apart and beating him until there was barely any of him left. Sans could still remember the screams.

 

**_"No! Stop, Please!"_ **

**_"Get way from me! Let me go!"_ **

_**"Why are you doing this to me?! I just wanted to make you all happy!"** _

Sans shuddered at the thought. Papyrus, who was one of the only monsters in the underground who actually enjoyed watching the show for the talented performer, had a habit of taking note of all the monsters who came up on stage during those occasions, tracking them down, and... _persuading_   them to be nicer to him.

Sans had no idea why Papyrus did this, or why he loved the show so much in the first place. Papyrus was the only person who ever called in with something nice to say about the show. Hell, he seemed to be the only person who genuinely _liked_ Mettaton or the show at all. It was like  Papyrus was in love with him or something!

 

**_Huh. It's been a while. I wonder where Papyrus is-_ **

 

"SANS! I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, HAVE RETURNED! UNFORTUNATELY WITHOUT NICE CREAM!!!" Papyrus shouted as he kicked the door down, almost breaking it. 

"Hey, Paps. Show hasn't started yet-"

"-I HAVE BROUGHT FOOD FROM GRILBY'S TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF NICE CREAM!", Papyrus continued as he gently slammed the doggie bag into the remains of the coffee table, not seeming to notice what has brother had been trying to say.

"Bro, your show-"

"Mettaton's probably still waiting for his special guest! He's had a rather special guest for the past few days now, and today they're going to have a big finale!"

"Really? Who's the 'special guest' of his, anyway?"

"Oh! His special guest is-"

 

Before Papyrus could finish, he was cut off by a familiar metallic voice coming from the TV.

 

" _GOOD EVENING DARLINGS! SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT, BUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! AND NOW THAT WE CAN START THE BIG SHOW, THE GLORIOUS EPISODE, THE FANTASTIC FINALE, I... have a confession to make._ "

 

**_"Confession"? What does he mean by-_ **

 

" _This place, I just- I can't take it anymore. I grew up here, watching people getting murdered on a daily basis. Watching as people kept killing each other. Families, friends, everyone. Ever since I was young, I wanted to change things, to make things better. I had always loved the idea of being an entertainer, of making people happy. So I decided to try to help this place the only way I knew how. I thought that by becoming an entertainer, I could get some people to change, to sway others to be kinder by filling an empty void in their lives. That's what I wanted! That's all I every wanted, but..."_

 

_The rectangular robot sighed as turned around and flipped the switch on his back, causing him to transform into a black haired, china faced, four armed, humanoid figure decorated in red, gold and silver battle armour._

 

_" _I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! FIVE YEARS!!! FIVE YEARS OF CONSTANTLY BEING HARASSED AND ATTACKED FOR EVEN THINKING THAT I COULD MAKE THIS SHITSTORM OF A PLACE ANY BETTER!!!"_  , he screamed as he began shaking violently. _

_" _SO I'VE DECIDED THAT FOR MY FINAL ACT, I SHALL ROB YOU HEATHENS OF THE FREEDOM YOU OH-SO DEPERATELY DESIRE!!! I SHALL TAKE THE HUMAN'S SOUL!!! I SHALL MAKE IT TO THE SURFACE WORLD... and once I'm there, I'll become famous as I laugh at you disgusting bastards who made my life a living hell."_ _

 

_He chuckled as a stage platform lowered his "special guest" into view, revealing Frisk, who was struggling in a cage._

 

_" _AND NOW, THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR: A FIGHT TO THE DEATH BETWEEN ME, AND THE INFAMOUS EIGHTH FALLEN HUMAN!"_ _

 

Mettaton snapped his fingers, triggering the cage mechanism to draw back, allowing Frisk to stand freely.

 

" _Sorry Frisky~ I know you probably don't want to fight, but that's just showbiz!~"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be careful what you wish for Mettaton, because that "Showbiz" might just end up getting you a bad time.


	6. Gaster's Theme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beware the man who speaks in hands.

The expression on his brother's face sent a deep chill down Papyrus's spine. He was shaking, muttering something in hands under his breath. Papyrus reached for Sans, wanting to calm him before he got violent.

 

"That _bitch_."

 

Papyrus froze.

 

"Sans, what did you-"

" **THAT _BITCH_**!!!", Sans screamed as he sent jagged bones flying into the wall, " **I'M GONNA HIM! I'M GONNA _FUCKING_   KILL HIM!!!**"

 

Papyrus grabbed Sans and pinned him to the ground, Sans screaming at him in hands all the while.

 

"Sans, I know you want to protect her but-"

"💧︎♒︎◆︎⧫︎ ◆︎◻︎✏︎✏︎✏︎"

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sans teleported his brother and himself into MTT resort, before slugging Papyrus in the face with a bone attack, kicking him off, and then bolting. Papyrus got up and ran after him, determined to catch Sans before he did something he would regret. He caught up to the smaller skeleton, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him into the wall. Sans was kicking and screaming, doing anything and everything he could think of to make his brother let go. 

 

"💧︎⧫︎□︎◻︎ ♓︎⧫︎📬︎"

 

Sans's expression immediately went from unbridled rage to dread. He went limp in his brother's grasp, forgetting where he was and what was going on around him. All he could think of now was a deranged scientist from years before, screaming at him and his younger brother in hands. He thought back days where he and his brother would hide out in a closet while the old bastard was screaming and throwing things, enraged by his failed experiments. Sans could still hear the psycho shouting in that goddamn cypher as if he was right in front of him.

 

_**"💧︎♋︎■︎⬧︎✏︎✏︎✏︎"** _

_**What's he screamin' about now?** _

_**"💧︎♋︎■︎**_ S!!!"

**_Wait, is there another voice?_ **

_**"💧︎**_ ANS!!!"

_**Who-** _

 

"SANS!!! CALM DOWN! I APOLOGISE BROTHER, I DID NOT REALIZE I WAS SPEAKING IN HANDS AND-"

 

Papyrus paused as he loosened his grip on Sans's collar, allowing him to slide down to the floor. He sighed before continuing. 

 

"I just- I didn't realize I was speaking in hands. I was upset, and I-"

"It's fine Paps.," Sans replied as he picked himself up off the floor, "Just forget this happened, and help me save Frisk."

 

Papyrus groaned, is expression shifting from concern to exasperation, as if he was mentally preparing himself for something he would despise. 

 

"Sans, about that... I don't think it's a very good idea for you to go after her right now. Considering what happened earlier today..."

"But you told me-!"

"I also told you to give her some space! Do you really think she'd just come running back after that stunt you pulled?! She needs time, Sans. And so do you."

"But-"

"Do you not trust me, brother?"

 

Sans paused, trying his best to calm his nerves. Yes, of course he trusted Papyrus. Why wouldn't he? But even if he did, Sans _still_ wanted to make sure that tin bastard got what he deserved.

 

"I- I trust you, bro."

"Good. Now while I'm dealing with Mettaton, there's something important I need you to do for me."

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  _ **Oh golly, I hate this place.**_

 

Flowey was in a dark, damp, horrific room, filled to the brim with rusty machines and old torture devices. Massive amounts of blood had been splattered on the wall, and there were dust piles everywhere. It made Flowey queasy, but he only eat  monster food, so it wasn't like he was going to vomit any time soon.

After a few minutes of groaning in disgust as he poked and prodded through the mess with his vines, Flowey came upon a dusty old file folder with some sort of a cypher on it. He snatched it and started reading though it to make sure it was the right folder. Once he had confirmed that indeed _was_ the correct folder, he slipped it into his inventory and headed off to waterfall.

It had taken him a while to find the door, but eventually he located it and scurried inside. Flowey  slammed the door behind him and looked around, calling out for the idiot who called him there in the first place.

 

"Hello?! Hey? Are you there!? I have the file you asked for-AAAAAAAHHH!"

 

Flowey jumped back in terror as he found himself face to face with what appeared to be an amalgamate but... a _skeleton_   at the same time? It was like a massive pile of black and white goo had been meshed together in an attempt to create some sort of humanoid figure. But it wasn't just that- It looked familiar. Flowey had never actually seen this things face before, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he had _seen_ this thing before. Not only that, but he looked like someone else he looked like...

 

" _Papyrus?"_

 

The creature gave him a sideways glance before bursting into a terrifying fit of laughter.

 

"☟︎♋︎✏︎ 🕈︎♏︎●︎●︎ ♓︎ ♎︎□︎ ●︎□︎□︎🙵 ♋︎ ●︎□︎⧫︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ♒︎♓︎❍︎📪︎ ♎︎□︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ ♓︎✍︎"

"Um, sir? I don't speak in cyphers."

"MY APOLOGIES, MY DEAR WEED! IT SEEMS FOR A MOMENT, DR. GASTER HAS FORGOTTEN HIS TONGUE! NOW WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?"

 

**_He speaks in third person like Papyrus._ **

 

"Howdy, doc. My name is Flowey and- I uh, you sent me to get this file for you, remember? We made a deal and everything!"

 

Gaster gave him a blank stare before responding.

 

"OH, FLOWERY THE WEED! GOOD TO SEE YOU! WHERE'S THAT FILE? WE MUST PROMPTLY BEGIN THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR PLAN!"

"Here you go," Flowey said as he handed the file to the lunatic in front of him, "Also, my name is Flowey. Flowey the Flower"

"EXCELLENT, FLOWERY! NOW, I WANT YOU TO FIND WHERE ASGORE HIDES THE HUMAN SOULS. WAIT UNTIL THIS LAST ONE REACHES THE END, AND TAKE ALL THE SOULS. BECOME A GOD. BRING ME BACK INTO EXISTANCE, AND THEN WE CAN FUFILL YOUR END ON THE BARGAIN, AND EVERYONE WILL BE HAPPY JUST LIKE YOU WANTED. DO WE HAVE A DEAL?"

 

Flowey paused before answering.

 

"Will Mom be happy?"

"YES."

"Will Dad be happy?"

"OF COURSE."

"Will Papyrus and Mettaton and Undyne and all the rest be happy?"

"ABSOLUTELY!"

"Will the humans, the kids who came down here and died, as well as Frisk and Chara- Will they be happy?"

"AND REVEIVED TOO!"

 

Flowey paused before he asked his final question.

 

"I know you don't like him, but will... Sans be happy too?"

 

In a flash, Flowey found himself torn from his pot, being pinned down to the icy floor by several boney hands while they crushed his stem.

 

" **OH, WHAT'S WRONG LITTLE WEED?! OUT OF BREATH? FEELING 'CRUSHED' BY YOUR INCOMPETENCE?!"**

 

"I- just-"

" **JUST WHAT?!!"**

 **"** I felt bad about lying to Frisk about him and-"

" **YOU FELT BAD? YOU 'FELT' BAD?! YOU'RE A SOULLESS BEING! YOU CAN'T 'FEEL' ANYTHING!** "

 

Gaster stomped onto the struggling plant in his grasp and ground him on the floor. He scraped  the withering creature of the floor and brought him so close, their faces were barely inches away.

 

" _LISTEN HERE LITTLE WEED, AFTER WHAT HE DID TO ME, THAT DISGUSTING RUNT OF A SKELETON DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE HAPPY! HE DESERVES TO BURN IN HELL. AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME FOR YOU TO JOIN HIM THERE, NOW WOULDN'T IT? SO EITHER ACCEPT THE DAMN DEAL, OR I DROWN YOU IN WEED KILLER."_

 

He threw flowy back onto the ground next to his pot.

 

"DO WE HAVE A DEAL, OR NOT?"

"I...I"

"DO WE HAVE A DEAL, OR NOT?!"

"...We have a deal, Dr. Gaster."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flowey, you fool! I said "beware", not "befriend"!


End file.
